You can drink beer in a place like this!? Barbershop, apparel shop, trail running specialty store, etc.

Fashion & Beer

Two passions create freestyle

Keita Yamanouchi returned to Ehime from Tokyo in 2018 to help out at his family's clothing retail business. He encountered craft beer in Canada as a student, and was so impressed by it—it was completely different from Japanese beer—that he traveled to the United States in search of beer. After returning to Japan, he got a job at a major consumer goods manufacturer. While working in accounting, he continued to volunteer at a small beer company on weekends. He then moved to Tokyo to work as a brewer at the newly opened YYG BREWERY, broadening his knowledge of beer.

In May 2019, the store was renovated to include a brewery and tap bar at the back of the select shop. Rather than simply taking over the family business, Yamanouchi decided to take on the challenge of starting a new business in his own unique style. Fashion and beer are an unusual combination, but Yamanouchi feels comfortable having two things that enrich his life in the same space.

For apparel, they value human connections and select brands where you can see the faces of the brewers. The brewery does not have a set style, but instead releases new beers almost weekly using a variety of brewing methods. To achieve high quality, they use scientific evidence, flexible thinking, and the bounty of the surrounding land, such as citrus fruits and grains, to continue to convey the diversity of beer.

Records & Beer

Enjoy casually, like having a drink at a record shop.

The first thing you notice when you enter the store is the sheer volume of LPs, about 4,000. It could easily be mistaken for a record shop. The owner, Yoshihiro Isomura, has been collecting these for about 15 years in preparation for opening his own store. With these in mind, he has taken his collection to a cocktail bar in Shimokitazawa, and now operates a beer bar in Shinsen.

"I got into craft beer after drinking a hazy IPA. I was surprised by its cloudiness and fruity flavor. I started going to Tap and Growler in Shimokitazawa, and gradually I wanted to try it myself." His enthusiasm was extraordinary, and he even built his own beer server. Around eight types of beer are always available, including IPAs, saisons, and stouts.

Barber & Beer

American style with carefully selected beers and cuts

This small bar with five counter seats sits quietly on the second basement floor of a business district. Behind it, there's even a barber shop attached. "We were influenced by the atmosphere of speakeasies, the hidden bars that existed in America during the Prohibition era about 100 years ago," says manager Soichiro Kakisaka.

The interior was designed by Baston Derek, an architect from Seattle who also runs West Coast Brewing in Shizuoka Prefecture. The four taps mainly stock American beers, including Fremont Brewing, and there are usually around 10 bottles on display. The staff are all barbers, but they're all serious about pouring beer, having learned how to pour at a beer bar. There's also an Iidabashi branch.

Trail running and beer

A selection of bottles chosen by trail runners in various countries

​Living Dead Aid by ANSWER4 is a store specializing in trail running, which opened in 2018. The owner, Hiromasa Kobayashi, is an athlete who has run in competitions around the world, and is also the designer of ANSWER4, which makes items used in competitions.

"When we arrive at our destination, the first thing we do is toast with a beer. We sometimes stock the delicious ones in the store," he said, showing us a barley wine made by Firestone Walker in the US. It's a fragrant bottle made by aging the beer in bourbon and whiskey barrels for one year each. The two refrigerators are stocked with around 50 different types, mainly from the US and Canada. It's no wonder that local residents use it as a liquor store.